


Appetite

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Het, Rare Pair, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 17:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6668323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe and Caitlin's night in gets interrupted by a phone call</p>
            </blockquote>





	Appetite

**Author's Note:**

> For the rainy days and Mondays three things challenge   
> Set 2:  
> a flat tire  
> a bag of takeout food  
> an unwanted 8pm phone call

Caitlin knows she shouldn't be annoyed, but she just can't help it. Part of the vagaries of dating a cop, she knows, is that they're never really off duty, that if a lead comes up that they have to follow, there's nothing else they can do. She knows that, she understands that. It's just that right now? She doesn't have to like it. 

Because tonight was supposed to be a night for herself and Joe to curl up in front of the fire, shut out the world and spend some time wrapped up in one another. Barry and Iris were away for the night, Wally had sworn that he was going back to Keystone City to catch up with some childhood friends and that wild horses would not drag him back to the West house. He'd said that with such an exaggerated shudder that Caitlin had had to fight hard not to laugh, a fight that only became more difficult at Joe's reaction, a look on his face like he didn't know whether to tell Wally off or join her in laughter. 

There is no laughter though, at eight pm, when the first bag of takeout food is barely opened on the table and Joe's phone rings. He glances at the screen - as a father with his three kids out of the house and on the road, she doesn't  begrudge him that - and his lips set into a grim line. "Singh." 

Her heart sinking into her boots, Caitlin shakes her head. "Can you ignore it?" She's only half joking, gets half a smile in response. 

"Baby, you know if I could..." He looks genuinely regretful and she shakes her head again, waves her hand as indication that he should go ahead and answer. She only hears his side of the conversation but it's enough to let her know that their evening together is, at the very least, going to be deferred until later. 

When he hangs up the phone, she's got it together enough to paste a smile on her face. "Go," she says simply. "We can heat this up when you get home." 

Then, just because she can, she gives him a goodbye kiss to let him know that the food isn't the only thing they'll be heating up. 

He looks slightly dazed as he leaves and she hums a little to herself as she puts the food into the kitchen, pours herself a glass of wine and sits down in front of the television. 

He's longer than she thought he would be and she's dozing on the couch by the time the door opens. By the time he's taken off his coat, she's pushed herself into a sitting position, squinting at the clock on the mantelpiece. "Where were you?" She's not angry, just curious and he shakes his head, rolls his eyes. 

"I should've been home an hour ago," he grumbles. "Except Singh got a flat tyre and I was the closest person to give him a ride home." Another eye roll. "God forbid he should sign out something from the motor pool... or change the damn thing himself." 

He's fairly bristling with indignation and her lips twitch despite herself. "Poor you," she says and he must hear the amusement she's barely keeping back because he narrows his eyes and glares at her. 

"At least tell me you left me some dim sum," he says and Caitlin smiles, crosses to him and wraps her arms around her neck. 

"How about we work up an appetite first?" 

She doesn't have to ask him twice. 


End file.
